About Me

I worked at the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto for 10 years, until it closed in 2014. During my time there I planned themed endcaps and did author interview displays.
From September 2010 until December 2012 I contributed book reviews and New Author Spotlight posts to SF Signal. From August 2013 to May 2014 I did a Recommended Reading with Professionals column there once or twice a month.
I've got a BA in Medieval History from the University of Toronto.
I'm a long time crafter and have been card crafting for a few years, first using photos I took and now using lots of stamps and fun embellishments.
Contact me at:
jessica.strider (at) gmail (dot) com

Book Review Requests

I'm trying to reduce the number of physical books cluttering my bookshelves and floor, so I won't be accepting many new review books. I'm also being much harsher than usual when reading, giving books about 50 pages to wow me before I move on to the next one.

If I finish the book I will review it. Positive reviews are posted around the web (Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and LibraryThing). Negative reviews are only posted to my blog.

Sunday, 30 January 2011

The Chiaroscuro reading series, sponsored by CZP, runs the second Tuesday of the month, normally at the Augusta House (125 Augusta Ave.) in Toronto.

Their mandate:

at the Augusta House

152 Augusta Avenue, 2nd Floor

(link to google map? or jpeg of google map?)

Toronto, ONery available between 21-24 of this month

Emerging from early magic realism, mythology and fable, from the work of science fiction authors who cut their teeth during the 1950’s golden age of pulp science fiction, and from the disturbing literary forays of horror writers inspired by Shelley, Poe, and Stoker, Canadian speculative fiction has begun to move in strange and provocative new directions, becoming something altogether different from its American counterpart and wholly itself.

We believe that Canadian authors may well prove to be the kind of rejuvenating force necessary to revitalize the “pulp” genres of fantasy, science fiction and horror writing. As Canadian publications includingNeo-Opsis,OnSpec,Ideomancer,Challenging Destiny, the long-runningTesseracts collections, and our ownChiZine Publicationsbecome increasingly prominent markets for speculative fiction, we want to establish a dialogue between senior and junior authors, between authors and editors, and between authors and readers in order to encourage the growth of this important literary domain.

If you're in town, their next event * takes place at Bakka Phoenix Books will be honouring Bakka Phoenix Books (84 Harbord St.) as it features several of their alumni, on Tuesday, February 8th, 8-11pm. It will still take place at Augusta House. Here are the authors participating, from the event page on facebook:

ROBERT J SAWYER is one of only seven writers in history (and the only Canadian) to win all three of the science-fiction field's top honors for best novel of the year: the Hugo Award; the Nebula Award; and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award.ED GREENWOOD is an award-winning Canadian writer, editor, game designer, columnist, and librarian best known as the creator of The Forgotten Realms® fantasy world.LEAH BOBET has a degree in linguistics from the University of Toronto, edits at Ideomancer Speculative Fiction, and moonlights at Bakka-Phoenix Books, Canada's oldest science fiction bookstore.MICHELLE SAGARA WEST, a 1992 Campbell Award nominee, started her first novel, Into the Dark Lands, in 1986, which was eventually published by Del Rey books at the tail end of 1991. She has also published the House War with DAW and the Chronicles of Elantra.

If you want more information about the reading series or the workships they offer, head on over to their website.

* Thanks to The Quiet One who corrected me on the venue in the comments.